The Son of a Dragon
by Ayame-chan
Summary: [ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE] Twenty five years has passed since Hellsing faced their utmost adversary. And now, follows the footsteps of their son, Daemon. Chp 5 up
1. Return: His Story

**Author's Notes:** I'm actually a bit hesitant to put this one here, because I haven't had a lot of time to work on this and I'm also a bit (just a bit) scared of what your, the readers out there, reactions are going to be. I originally started this about two years ago, but never really had the time to develop it besides character profiles and a basic plot outline, and it was just a few months after seeing _Hellsing_ by a friend who lent me his copy of the series that I began outlining this story. It was then lost in my massive notebook of other stories, poems,and pictures among others until I moved and discovered that notebook again. I decided that I still was pretty attached to the plot outline of the fic (and the beginning prologue), so I revised the first chapter about five times before finally satisfied with this version, the one that you will (hopefully) be reading below.

takes a deep breath So, here it is, my first Hellsing fanfiction and probably the only Hellsing fanfic that I will ever write. This takes place 25 years after the end of the anime series, following the life of Alucard and Integra's oldest son and heir to the Hellsing Organization, Daemon Van Hellsing.

A note that I must point out is that I'm only familiar with the anime and not the manga. So, characters that were placed in the manga do not exist in this fanfic.

Another note is that, again, this is my first Hellsing fanfiction. I ask you to please be nice, but I also ask you to add any improvements that I might need (even though I've wrote and rewritten this chapter about five different times). Anyway, enough of my long ramble. Please read and enjoy!

**_Disclaimers_**: I do not own Hellsing. That's owned by Hiroaki Samura, Geneon (formerly Pioneer), and all those other really thriving and rich companies out there. However, I **do** own my original characters (Daemon, Anastasia, Richard, Maria, and others that will appear in later chapters) and I ask that if you want to use them, please ask me first. Because asking doesn't hurt, and it's not rude. Another character that will appear later on is Anya Sophia Hellsing and she's owned by my friend Juuhachigou.

**Prologue**

Hellsing. Born out of nobility and necessity. FREAKS, vampires, and the unhuman wreak havoc upon society and Hellsing destroys them out of duty to England and the Queen.

Yet the world still remains oblivious to the good they do.

But those who know of its existence can see that the organization designed to vanquish evil lurking in the shadows had nearly collapsed because of the death of one of their own.

How long does it take to seal away open wounds?

For him, six years.

**Chapter One: Return His Story**

"Wait here."

The woman nodded silently as the sound of the motorcycle's engine died off. Her violet eyes seemed to stare blankly off into space, but upon his touch they regained focus.

She could see again, for the moment.

Staring back into his crimson eyes, eyes that reflected her own apprehension, she gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand.

"It's going to be okay, Daemon," she encouraged, her voice soft and tinted with a French accent. "You know you have to do this. Black Scorpion can't do it alone...nor can you."

Letting the meaning of her words sink in, Daemon slowly nodded. Letting her hands go, he planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'll be back soon," he murmured.

The young woman laughed at his gentleness, letting her hands trail up to the thick main of black underneath the hood which covered his face.

"I'm not going to go anywhere," she pointed out. "It's not like I can, anyway, _dans ce pays d'Angleterre_ (_in this country of England_)."

Daemon chuckled in amusement, allowing a small smile creep to his face. He took a few seconds to gather his courage and headed towards the gate of his old home. Only then did the woman let her smile fall, replaced by worry. Her eyes returned to its normal state of blindness. It had been six years since he had left, and the truth he discovered after that incident had left him a different person than the one his family remembered him by.

In the shadows outside the Hellsing mansion hid a tall, stoic figure...observing. His crimson eyes brimmed with a sadness that no vampire, that no **father** should endure as he watched his son approach the gates.

She was gone...

* * *

Memories flashed before his eyes as he approached the gates of his old home, gates that had been rebuilt countless of times over the decades. He stopped as two rifles denied him to walk any further and looked up. The hood of his jacket and his dark hair covered most of the features of his face with the exception of his eyes.

Daemon took no offense to this action. His eyes were like blood: vampiric, unhuman. It was one of the many traits he despised about himself.

"Who are you?" the owner of one of the rifles demanded. "State your business."

Pulling back the hood just enough to reveal his face, Daemon calmly replied, "My name is Daemon Van Hellsing."

A gasp escaped from one of the guards' lips. Daemon looked at both of them with a cool gaze.

"I've come to see my mother."

* * *

The young woman Daemon had left behind waited patiently on the motorcycle that they had ridden on. She shifted in her seat to a more comfortable position, taking in a deep breath of the cold air. Alucard remained where he was in the shadows, taking in her every detail. To put it simply, he was quite curious. As a vampire, he wanted to know why he could not read her mind it was obvious that she was no ordinary human. As a father, he wanted to know why she knew his son so...intimately.

His conclusion soon came after observation.

Dark brown hair etched around the frame of her almond-shaped face, falling gently across her shoulders. A small portion was tied back by a blue bandanna, accentuating her blind, violet eyes. Most of her clothing was concealed under a black hooded trenchcoat, halfway buttoned down to her knees where matching boots covered her feet.

Through Alucard's present knowledge, her accent sounded Parisian. She was someone his son had met during his travels.

Still it was annoying to not be able to read her mind. The woman was human but at the same time wasn't.

What had made Alucard more curious was the second aura clearly resonating from her. He did not think this second aura was intentional in order to fool him the woman seemed too oblivious to his presence. The only other logical thought that came to mind was...

The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, and she shivered. She could feel someone or something watching her. She rubbed her arms to ride of the cold, but the woman couldn't help but shiver again. Despite the heavy clothing she wore, England's typically cold weather in mid-autumn proved to be unrelenting to her already sensitive body temperature. For four months she had been like this: a never-ending desire to feel heat. Black Scorpion's doctor told her that the condition seemed to be a replacement for morning sickness. Daemon, however, thought otherwise. It was a constant worry to him, a small annoyance to her.

**_Who are you?_**

The deep, unfamiliar voice startled her out of her thoughts. She frantically looked around her, though she could not see. She could sense it now; the dark aura that had been watching her all this time.

"Who's there?" she whispered softly, but only the wind answered her call.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. The aura was very strong and easy to pick out. What eluded her was the source. Using a method her mother taught her long ago, she turned her head. The aura was immensely strong, but it varied in different areas. Where it was strongest, she could not yet find it.

"Maria!"

The familiar tone of his voice calmed Maria Rift, and she opened her eyes. She could hear his footsteps come closer until he had pulled her up to her feet, letting her share his vision.

"It's clear we can go in," he told her.

She nodded, and let Daemon guide her into the world of the Hellsing Organization.

Alucard watched them leave, frowning when his son turned to meet his eyes.

_Don't you dare say a word,_ his son warned him, knowing that Alucard now knew.

The vampire had hoped that their already strained father-son relationship would improve after their long talk six years before, but it seemed it had been left exactly where it began.

_Oh? And how are you going to keep this a secret when MY grandchild gets bigger?_ Alucard arched an eyebrow.

_I'll tell them at a later time. And I appreciate it if you don't scare her out of the blue._

_Hmph, scare? I can't even read the girl's mind._

_She CAN hear you._

Alucard melded back into the mansion as the couple disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"_C'est grand _(_It's big_)," were the first words that came out of Maria's lips as soon as they stepped into the actual mansion.

"Yeah, it is..." Daemon agreed, taking in the details of the home he lived in for 18 years of his life. "Boring, too, once you know all the secrets."

"Master Daemon," a familiar voice called out to him. Daemon let go of Maria's hand, which she put back on her gloves.

"Uncle Richard," he called out to the man with the cane, walking up to him. "It's good to see you again."

Richard let out a light laugh, patting the younger man on the shoulder as the two walked back to where Maria stood in curiosity. The fifty year old man glanced at Maria, nodding in approval more to himself than to his "nephew".

"You've grown since you have left," he noted, purposefully not noticing the faint flicker in the half-vampire's eyes. "What have you been doing for the past six years?"

"Oh...just traveling around," Daemon casually replied. An uneasy pause lingered. He decided to change the subject. "But I'm surprised that you're the courier. Did Grandfather finally give into your requests?"

Richard's smile faded. "Grandfather Walter died two years ago."

Stunned by the news, it took a few moments to coherently respond. The steely gaze he held in his crimson eyes softened slightly, staring down at the ground. Richard took notice that Maria also had a pained look as if she also felt Daemon's shock.

"Oh...I see..." came Daemon's response. He sighed, forcing himself to look up at Walter Kun Dornez's only biological grandson. "Well, he _was _pretty old. Be in his mid-nineties now, right?"

Richard smiled and nodded, pushing up the ridge of his glasses to his nose. "He passed away peacefully. His age finally caught up to him after all these years. Your mother, Lady Integra, then contacted me and appointed me as her new weapons manufacturer." Richard quickly changed the subject to something a bit lighter in topic. "By the way, may I ask who is this young woman?"

Glad that the topic had changed again, Daemon wrapped an arm around Maria's waist.

"Uncle Richard, this is Maria Rift," he introduced. "Maria, this is Uncle Richard, my teacher."

"Former teacher," Richard corrected, holding out a hand. "I haven't taught Master Daemon in over six years."

"You'll still be my teacher, nonetheless."

Maria smiled, shaking hands with Richard. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

As they shook hands, Richard felt a slight jolt run through his body. He was a bit surprised at the feeling, glancing at Daemon and back at Maria, but the two acted as if nothing had happened between them. He quickly shook off the feeling, thinking it was just the atmosphere around them. The Hellsing mansion did have its peculiarities that differed from the typical home after all.

"I assume that you will be in the country for a while," Richard stated.

Daemon nodded. "Yes, but there's no need to worry about preparing a room for us. We're staying at a hotel nearby."

One look at Daemon, and Richard could tell that the young man did not want to disclose any further information. So the middle-aged man smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I see. Lady Integra is awaiting in her office upstairs."

"Thank you..." The Hellsing heir wanted Maria to come with him, but he knew that he had to do this alone. Plus, he didn't want to tell his mother about Maria yet.

"If you don't mind, Richard...can you show Maria around?" An askew smile traced across his lips, the rare side of himself that his teacher once knew. "Within reason, of course."

Maria glanced at Daemon with hesitation. _Are you sure?_

_Don't worry. Richard's one of the few people can I trust._

"It would be my pleasure to guide such a beautiful young woman, Master Daemon," Richard said, gently taking her hand. The jolt struck him again, though it was lighter this time. "That is, if she does not mind such an old man as myself."

Maria smiled and laughed. "No, of course not."

Richard nodded at Daemon to reassure the heir and he proceeded to guide Maria down the eastern hallway, describing to her various objects they were passing by and some history about the mansion. Daemon watched them go before he took in a deep breath and headed towards the central staircase, ahead lying the room where the Knights of the Round gathered.

Without stopping, Daemon glanced back at his father.

"You know, a nice 'hello' would be appreciated," he said to Alucard.

"Hmph, after that scene?" Alucard smirked. "You're lucky that I don't pop you in the head for such a greeting to your own father."

Daemon let the comment slide. He was thinking of more important issues at the moment to wonder why his father was now in such a friendly mood.

"If you already know what I'm going to say to her, then why are you following me?"

"You seem to have forgotten that I **am** your father." An uncharacteristic pause came from Alucard before he carefully added, "...I also want to hear the details. Your actions are difficult to read, my son."

They stood before the grand oak doors of the meeting room. Ignoring his father's last comment, Daemon knocked on the door.

"Come in," came a harsh, female voice inside.

Determined, he opened the door and entered, staring back at the light blonde middle-aged woman who sat in the center of the table and not in her usual place at the head. Integra Hellsing took a good look at her son, the ice blue eyes softening slightly as she took in how much he had changed. Daemon was taller, older than the last time she remembered. Not old as in age, but old in his eyes. His chin was sharper like his father, his poised and calm stance was like hers. The tips of his fangs were beginning to peek out underneath his upper lip; they were longer than before.

Letting all this observation interpret her thoughts, she said in a softer tone, "Sit down."

Daemon willingly obliged the order, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. Alucard closed the door and leaned against it. Unlike his wife, he did not want to see the emotions running through their son when he told his story.

"Six years," Integra began. "For six years you went to search for her, leaving no trace of your existence so we wouldn't be able to find you. You covered your tracks fairly well, I might add. After you left, nobody was able to find you not even your father. We didn't know if you were alive or dead, well or suffering." She paused, letting her words sink in. She was beginning to see the hint of her son's mask, wondering to herself when did he become so cold and emotionless. He was definitely not the cocky and arrogant Daemon Van Hellsing she remembered.

"...And now you're here," she continued. "...What did you find out?"

**_Black Scorpion can't do this alone, nor can you. _**Maria's words rung in his head as Daemon closed his eyes.

"She's dead," he calmly replied. "My sister...your daughter..." He gritted his teeth in anger. "Anastasia's dead."


	2. The Shadows of Betrayal

Chapter Two: The Shadow of Betrayal

"Daemon!"

An echoing pound came at the door. The inhabitant of the room groaned, turning his back against the huge oak doors and using one of his pillows to cover his head to block out the noise.

"Daemon!" the voice behind the door called again, more impatiently this time. The pounding of the door continued. "Brother! Come on! Wake up! We've got to go to school!"

"I don't want to..." Daemon mumbled back underneath his pillows and blankets, though he doubted that his sister could hear him. "God damn, Annie, let me sleep..."

After a few minutes, the pounding stopped. For a moment, the teenager had hoped that his younger twin sister had given up and he tried to fall back to sleep. But then he heard the lock on his door twist open. Daemon mentally cursed to himself that he had forgotten to place a seal on the lock. In a normal household, one simple lock on the doorknob was sufficient enough to block out any outside interference from your room.

However, in the Hellsing family, locking the door just wasn't enough. Especially when you had some family who could literally poke through the wall or use telepathy like you.

His sister's footsteps lightly echoed on the wooden floor. They headed towards him, his bed in the middle of the extravagantly large bedroom. The young man contemplated underneath the mass of pillows and blankets what to do. The psychic waves his sister was sending him were not good. His sister was mad.

"Bro--the---r" her voice addressed him testily.

He could hear that she was clicking her tongue, one foot lightly tapping the ground. Underneath the covers, he could just imagine her staring down at him with the piercing cold eyes they inherited from their mother, hands on her hips.

_Yep, she's pissed, _he thought.

With a resignated sigh, Daemon stuck out his hand from the blankets that amassed on top of him.

"Give me five minutes, Anastasia, okay?"

Anastasia Victoria Hellsing stared at her brother's hand, her lips pursed in concentration. She wasn't sure if he meant to give him five more minutes of sleep before getting ready or give five minutes to get dressed. Staring at his hand wasn't going to help her any.

"...Fine," she finally said to the hand. "But it's 6:15 already. Grandfather's taken Sophie to school already, Auntie Seras and Uncle Max went to bed, and Mum's pretty pissed off that you're not awake yet because our breakfast is getting cold."

"Okay, okay," the hand shooed her away. "I'll be down in five." The hand turned, palm facing upward. "Just hand me the serum, will you?"

Anastasia stared at his hand again and then looked around the room. There was no black box, where the serum was usually inside, in sight.

"...Where is it?" she asked.

The hand pointed left. "It should be on my desk. Underneath the acceptance papers."

His sister began to walk towards the steel desk, carefully avoiding the clutter that covered his floor.

"Mum's going to be pissed when she goes into your room," she muttered, reaching her destination without incident and began sifting through his equally cluttered desk top.

The hand in bed waved behind her. "She isn't going to know it's this messy."

"That's true..."

Her brother had the unusual knack to make his room spotless in a matter of minutes whenever he sensed their mother approaching the room. She managed to find the box underneath a pile of history notes that were no longer useful.

"Here!" She tossed the box at the lump on the bed.

Unbeknownst to her, the object hit Daemon square in the chest -- the area that was least cushioned by his blanket and pillow barrier. He cringed in pain as the edge of the metal box hit him in the sternum.

"Ow."

"Serves you right, idiot," Anastasia said as she walked towards the door to leave. "And hurry up and get downstairs. I'm hungry!"

The oak doors of his room slammed shut, and after hearing her footsteps fade away did Daemon finally emerge from the blankets. The reason why he stayed underneath the covers was because he didn't want his sister to see how sickly he looked every time he woke up in the morning. Although she knew what everyone in the family (and some close friends in the Hellsing organization) knew why he had to take a shot of blood serum every day, twice a day, he felt embarrassed to look so weak when he was fairly healthy.

Daemon quietly opened the box and stared back at the syringe and vial of blood inside. Red. He hated that color. The color of blood looked too much like his eyes, eyes that were supposed to be light blue like his sisters' but because of a recessive gene he inherited that made him crave for blood they instead were crimson red. He despised this craving, this thirst for blood that made him look so sick every morning. He may be half vampire but that did not mean he wanted to drink blood as a staple diet like his father and his "aunt" and "uncle", who had no choice.

He stuck the syringe into the vial and held both objects upside down as the syringe and needle drew the red liquid to his usual amount of blood that suppressed the craving -- 5 c.c.s. He tossed the vial back into the box and took the leather roll that was in the box and stuck it in his mouth. He was following a routine he had done for the past eighteen years of his life, and possibly for the rest of his life until a cure was found.

After tying the elastic band around his bicep, he quickly found the artery and stuck the needle in. Without hesitation, he injected the serum and a surge of the familiar pain of unwanted blood seared through his body like fire. His teeth sank deep into the leather roll, his fangs piercing through the material as if it was nothing but a nuisance.

Another minute passed before the pain subsided and Daemon took out the syringe, tossing it and the needle into a nearby trash can. Then he meticulously pried the leather roll out of his mouth. When his fingers brushed against his fangs as they always had, he froze.

They were getting longer.

* * *

"Okay, he's up," Anastasia said as she entered the dining room.

The dining room, or also known as the eating area by the twins, was one of three areas that the Hellsing family frequented the most -- the other two being the briefing room and the library for missions.

The Hellsing twins had a peculiar hobby for food, Anastasia especially, and they would often use the dining room to "experiment" on various dishes. The room showed their abuse. The walls were covered with dark oak but if a guest would look closely, scattered around some of the walls were its "scars". Daemon and Anastasia as children often fought amongst one another as they "experimented" and as a result sometimes got out of hand. Both were unusually strong, a direct result of their odd bloodline, and would more than occasionally use physical and telepathic attacks against each other. Parts of the walls were replaced by new ones and lighter damages were covered by a variety of paintings which brightened up the room considerably. Anything else that did not need much repair or could not be covered by random objects were just left to be seen -- a memory that the twins always had to remember. There were also three doors: the entrance from the foyer, the door leading to the kitchen, and the sliding glass that led outside.

The sliding glass was the only door that filtered in sunlight and was often partially covered by its thick, maroon curtains; and it was where Alucard stood behind from, sipping a medical pouch of blood.

Anastasia, from her position near the entrance, glared at her father on the opposite side of the room. "He didn't set up a seal, so you could've woken him up yourself easily, Father."

Alucard glanced at his beautiful raven-haired, blue-eyed daughter before grinning.

"It's more fun if you do it."

"Ha ha ha, very funny," Anastasia retorted, her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Are you really five hundred something years old or are you fifteen?"

Alucard stopped drinking, acting as if he had been wounded. "It pains your father to hear his own daughter say that, Annie. Your constant sarcasm will send me to my grave."

Anastasia just looked at him. "Aren't you already dead?"

A question like that was unheard of in a normal family, but it was a common joke among the Hellsing children.

Alucard simply shrugged, "Hmm...that's true."

Anastasia finally looked away from her father to notice the great assortment of dishes on the dining table that sat along the middle of the room. The table, like the walls, were of dark oak and capable of seating twenty people. The food looked like it was enough to feed more than twenty. Aesthetic-wise, it looked like a chef's artistic nightmare.

"...Did...Mum make breakfast?" came the half-vampire's hesitant question.

Her father nodded, throwing away the pouch he finished. Without his signature coat, hat, and sunglasses, Alucard looked very much like a wise, thoughtful, and a bit conniving father. He took a seat at the head of the table, his smile getting wider as his daughter's facial expression became more fearful.

"Your mother spent a great deal of time this morning to make all of this," he said. "And I assure you that she's gotten better."

"Really, Father?" came Daemon's voice behind Anastasia. She turned around to see her brother in their high school uniform, leaning against the doorway in bored fashion.

"That was fast," Anastasia remarked, eyeing her twin's sense of dress code. Warning bells immediately rang in her head that the way he looked now was going against many rules of dress code. Again.

"Well, why don't you sit and try, my sleepyhead son?" Alucard offered with a smile.

"Bah, whatever."

Daemon casually sauntered over to the middle of the room, pulling out a random chair and took his seat. It was clear to both father and sister that the immediate heir to the Hellsing organization was still very tired. Letting out an inward sigh, Anastasia followed her brother and took a seat across from him, waiting for a better moment to nag him about violating the school's dress code. Alucard continued to watch them with an amused look on his face.

Daemon randomly grabbed a piece of pastry, slightly deformed, and took a bite. Anastasia did the same, but instead of eating the burnt fruit tart, she set it down on her plate and observed her brother to see if he would have any bad reaction. She, unfortunately no matter how much she loved food, did not have an iron cast stomach like her older twin brother did, so she didn't want to risk her health if anything was wrong.

A minute passed before Alucard asked, "So?"

"Hm...pretty good," came his son's muffled response as he took his fork and began to take some more random food items from the other dishes in front of him. He looked at his sister. "You can eat them, Annie."

Anastasia gingerly poked at the tart, replying, "You know, the dean's going to be angry at you again if you go like that." Mustering up the courage, she took a bite at her fruit tart and was surprised by its delicious taste despite how horrible and deformed it look.

"Well, he can just kiss my ass," Daemon said and swallowed his food. "It's not going to kill the old man, especially if it will be the last time he'll see me."

Anastasia frowned. _Bad timing again. _"My, you're awfully Mr. Sunshine today."

"We just finished a problem a few hours ago," Alucard explained to her. "Daemon has only had two hours of sleep, Annie."

"So that's why you told **me **to wake him up," she murmured. "What problem? How come I wasn't informed?"

"You're as computer literate as a plant, Annie," Daemon told her, continuing to eat. "Just a simple hack that I had to cut off, that's all. Nothing for you to help out on."

"You were on that for quite a while, though," Alucard remarked.

Daemon swallowed, finally losing his temper from a combination of lack of sleep and newly injected serum. "Because that bastard was a _**bitch** _to trace! Knocking him off line was easy, but locating his position was easier said than done. And why the hell is SPAWN denying the fact that the hacker was theirs in the first place? What the hell are they planning to do?"

"I'm not a plant! I can at least type and turn the thing on and off!" Anastasia exclaimed. "And who is SPAWN?"

"Scientists in the Production of Asyphalating Weapons and Nuclei," her mother's voice answered as she entered from the kitchen. Integra's platinum blond hair was tied back and held up by a clip and over her white blouse and navy blue slacks was a white apron.

"Scientists in the Production of Asyphalating Weapons and Nuclei?" Anastasia repeated in confusion. _Is asyphalating even a word? _"What the..."

"They're a bunch of psychos who --" Daemon began.

"Daemon," their mother cut him off. Daemon looked at her and sighed, gesturing that she explain. Integra looked back at Anastasia. "They're an independent group of scientists who are researching for different ways of creating weapons and are researching the genome project." She paused to let the information sink in. "King Charles recently put the organization under our care because they had been attacked by intruders a few weeks ago."

Anastasia slowly nodded as the information began to comprehend in her mind. Then another warning signal dawned on her.

"Why is an independent organization, no matter how large or small, under our protection? Isn't that endangering our status to the world if anything is leaked out? And...why wasn't I notified of this organization?"

Her parents glanced at one another and at Daemon, who opted to look angrily out the sliding glass, and then back at Anastasia.

"They...they've been asking for you to help them."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Ah, sorry for being so late on the update. My second year in college is coming to a close, which also means that many projects were due this month and the month previous, giving me less time to actually write. But...updating late is better than not updating at all, isn't it?

Some notes that I have to add. As you can tell, yes, I'm going back in time with this chapter. Six years from the first chapter to be exact. Which is why Daemon is 18 years old and not 24, why he's a bit different than the first chapter, and why this sounds so..."family" like. This is probably going to last about two more chapters. The reason why I'm doing this? You'll see.

Another note is the 5 c.c.s. part. Sometimes liquid medication comes in c.c.s. instead of mililiters (mml) and cups. It's another medical term, to put it simply, for liquid medication or injections. I learned that from my brother and going to the vet for my cat .

Anyway, til next chapter! (And hopefully it'll come out sooner, I really do apologize for that).


	3. Impending Destruction

**Chapter Three: Impending Destruction**

Anastasia remained unusually quiet next to her brother as they trekked up the hill that led to their school. Ordinarily, the twins went to school chauffeured by car as their school, Dalmaska Academy, was nearly two hours away from their home. However, there were always exceptions and when they were running late the Hellsing twins would use their telepathy to arrive near the heart of London and then casually stride on over to their school that was a few blocks away. What would usually take nearly two hours would now be two minutes and it was one of the more enjoyable attributes that they inherited from their father. Unfortunately, they were forbidden to use it unless their mother authorized them to.

"Don't let it get to you," Daemon finally spoke up after a minute of uneasy silence. His sister turned to look at him as they rounded a corner. "We're not going to let them get you anyway, so don't worry."

Anastasia frowned at her brother. _How can he be so calm? _

"You make it sound as if you've got it all covered."

"Hey, I'm trying to cheer you up, okay? You don't have to get all moody on me or anything."

"Why didn't you guys tell me about this organization? I'm in charge of gathering intelligence; I should at least know what's going on in my own home!"

Daemon carefully contemplated on his next set of words, his lips drawn to a thin line. "Mum didn't like the idea at first, either. We don't know when this tiny organization's going to turn their backs on us and every ounce of information we can get from them can be useful to figure out their next move. They're not just scientists, that's for sure. They know about Father to some extent." He glanced at his sister. "They're curious as to how me, you and Sophie got into the picture when, officially, Mum isn't listed as married."

As they neared the school, Daemon resorted to his telepathy as the number of students began to grow around them, politely exchanging greetings.

_You're going to intern at that lab in Oxford in a few months, right? You should know how some scientists think._

Anastasia turned her eyes away from him to look ahead as she was beginning to understand. _...I see..._

"I'll be heading to France next month to get ready to attend Sorbonne, so we're going to be a little shorthanded," Daemon spoke out loud as he grinned with arrogance at his accomplishment.

It might have been strange for a conversation to switch from mind to voice, but Anastasia had been used to it for the eighteen years of her life. She was secretly glad that her brother decided to change the subject; she really was worrying too much over the issue.

"I can't even believe that you got into Sorbonne with that brain of yours," she coolly commented.

"Hey, don't be jealous you can't speak more than one language."

She turned to glare at him, wishing that looks could kill. Out of all the things that she could excel her brother in -- science, math, literature, and archery among other things -- being fluent in multiple languages was something that Anastasia couldn't do. Her father tried to teach her Romanian once: that didn't work too well. She could butcher an entire language like she could with a FREAK with her pistols. It was embarrassing, what with being the more calm and reasonable twin and all, and her brother's natural talent with foreign languages just made it all the worse for her pride.

"You don't have to rub it in."

As the twins continued to amiably insult one another, they did not notice a pair of hazel eyes watching them in an alley close by.

---------------------

It would have just been an ordinary day for Mitchell Riley had he been not given this last opportunity to prove his worth to the world. He was well aware for as long as he could remember his ability to see the auras around every living thing. They were usually bland colors -- the people of the world -- and always lost and engulfed in a sea of black. He never thought of what he could do with this strange ability or if he could improve in it; it just made the world look that much more boring than it already was until he met them: Anastasia and Daemon Hellsing.

It was tradition in Dalmaska Academy for all the incoming freshmen to personally greet one another on the first week of school. The goal was to know everyone's name, their parents' names, what their family background was, what company or other properties were they to inherit, etc., and to find how these links could be for their individual benefit. A crowd of people surrounded the twins who had just returned to England from their father's home country of Romania studying abroad. They immediately stood out from the general population of the Academy with their sharp facial features and dark hair and their equally peculiar eye colors. They were fraternal twins yet they looked extremely similar to each other as if one was the opposite gender of the other. Anastasia had beautiful light blue eyes, eyes that were rare to have with black hair.

Daemon's eyes were red. Like blood. He had explained that it was a weird defect that ran in their family and he unfortunately inherited it. It sounded like a very legitimate excuse, but for some odd reason, Mitchell thought otherwise. Whether if it was because the spirits that hovered over them were bright red instead of blue or whether deep down inside he just knew, Mitchell Riley was highly suspicious as to what Anastasia and Daemon Hellsing really _were_.

Then these men in black approached him one day as he was on his way to his part-time job. They were well aware of his abilities and offered him a hefty sum as well as a strange suitcase filled with green vials of liquid. His job was to keep an eye on the twins and their activities. For the past eight months, he had been trailing the Hellsing twins up to the point where it became a near obsession for him to do on a daily basis. What he found was nothing out of the ordinary; they were just like him, except for one exception: they killed.

It was by accident that he stumbled upon this. A small quarter of London was experiencing a string of strange deaths during that week, and the twins strayed away from their normal activities to circle around town. Since they were easy to find, Mitchell could watch them as far as the Thames with his abilities that were enhanced by the curious green liquid that the men in black gave him. It was then, with his enhanced ability, that he found out their "other" job.

Two or three other people always went with them and their spirits were similar to the twins with the fact that they were dark red. The twins never spoke much about their family to the other students except their mother who, from their stories, everyone perceived to be from an extremely noble bloodline. There was no mention of their father except that he was from Eastern Europe.

But Mitchell couldn't help but wonder as he continued to watch them if one of those other red colors was their father.

After that incident, it seemed that the twins had unconsciously caught on to his observations and Mitchell remained fruitless in his efforts for a period of months. The men in black robes had come for a second time -- this time in front of the apartment building where he lived -- and gave him a simple message along with another suitcase filled with the green vials that he slowly became addicted to: find out **what **the Hellsing heirs were or else his life would be the price.

Mitchell chuckled bitterly to himself at the reminder as he stepped out of the alley and followed the twins to school.

Maybe his ability was worthless after all.

* * *

"How much longer?" 

"Not long now. As long as the boy can grab their attention, we can infiltrate their headquarters."

"...Are you sure, sir?"

"We can't waste any time. That man...no, that **_monster_** must be obliterated before we can continue our research."

* * *

Alucard paused in mid-step in the hallway of the basement and turned his head as a familiar note sung in his head. This note he had heard somewhere before, a sound that dredged up a memory that had long lost itself in the midst of his five hundred and odd years of age. The former human now vampire wasn't quite sure where to exactly place this memory note yet it sent Alucard a dark, foreboding feeling. 

The young woman who had been walking next to him stopped and turned around once she realized that her master wasn't next to her.

"...Master?" Seras Victoria asked him, watching her master cautiously. Out of the nearly twenty years she had been in the Hellsing organization, she hadn't seen Alucard tense before. It was slight but after the years of observation she could see that there was something wrong.

"Master, is there something the matter?"

"Policewoman, did you hear that sound?" came the answer from the shadow of black and red behind her.

The red head quirked an eyebrow. "Um...no, I didn't."

Alucard frowned a little. Of course the woman couldn't hear it; she was still not as keen on her hearing capabilities as he was. He swiftly turned back to where he came from, melding into the walls to get to his new destination.

"What--" Seras was about to say, but Alucard cut her off.

"Go find your silver-haired mate. And keep his area secure. Make sure that **no one **is to enter here, understand?"

As he disappeared into the wall to travel upstairs to Integra's office, the grounds shook and the alarm of intruders sounded.

* * *

"And so, in order to work for the future, you must continue to strive for success and for the pride of Dalmaska!" 

Daemon released a loud yawn as the dean of the Academy continued is "pep talk" to their graduating class. He wanted to sit down but they had to stand, all 316 graduates this year, as the dean spoke to them at the ceremony. Daemon could care less about what the old man had to say but his sister next to him kept on elbowing him in the ribs whenever she would catch him falling asleep. Anastasia somehow thought that this speech was _extremely_ important to them regarding their hopes, dreams, and ambitions of the future...or whatever nonsense he remembered hearing from the principal's lectures countless of times before.

Dalmaska Academy was not a very large campus, comprised of two main buildings and a gymnasium, but its reputation as a highly esteemed school meant only for the elite was pretty common in most of England and in some parts of Europe. The students were given the "best" of the best teachers in Europe and consequently students from Dalmaska had the "best" education.

It was also very expensive and difficult to get in since there was a limit as to how many students the school could accept. This wasn't much of a problem for the Hellsing twins, but once their first year started, Daemon immediately became the source of trouble among students and faculty alike. The upperclassmen did not like the way he interacted with everyone and how most of his friends were "commoners" or likewise. The professors saw his hot temper and lack of manners as a sign for disaster. The only reason why he wasn't kicked out of the Academy were his grades. He was among the best in the linguistics area at their school, even outsmarting many of his foreign language professors, and he was ranked number one in the United Kingdom in competitive fencing. He was both good and bad, and the good sides that Daemon provided heavily outweighed the bad sides. Dalmaska didn't want to lose such an academically outstanding student from their hands.

Despite all that, the faculty and Daemon were more than ecstatic to be rid of each other.

As he stifled another yawn, and preventing another poke from his sister, something began to vibrate against his pant leg. Daemon looked down and immediately stuck his hand into his pocket to take out the vibrating object, his cell phone. Taking a quick glance down at the number, he quickly grabbed Anastasia's arm and the two weaved their way out of the line of students into an open area. Their movement caught the attention of some of the faculty, much to Daemon's disappointment. One of the professors began to head towards them.

"Brother!" Anastasia hissed as she shook her arm free from his hold. "What in the world--"

Daemon held up a hand to silence her as he answered the phone. The sounds of gunshots and concrete exploding filled his ears.

"Daemon, the both of you get your asses back here **now**!" his superior and "uncle" shouted before Daemon hung up.

He turned to Anastasia. "Annie, we have to go."

"But what--" Anastasia began to say.

"Mister and Miss Hellsing," the faculty member, a balding man in his forties with hazel eyes that Daemon remembered as being his former British history professor, addressed them. "May I ask what is so important that you must disrupt the ceremony and step out of line?"

Before Anastasia, the one closest to him, could answer, Daemon quickly replied, "Family emergency. Our grandfather was in a car accident."

He began to drag a still stunned Anastasia away from the ceremony as he politely smiled and waved at his former British history professor, "Tell Doctor Emerson to send us our diplomas and his _wonderful _speech home, okay?"

The he began to run, letting go of his sister as she followed. Mitchell Riley walked up to the balding man and excused himself to go to the W.C.

* * *

"What's happening at home that's making you hurry?" Anastasia asked him as they raced through the streets of London at an unthinkable speed. Telepathy would have been faster, but it required both to simultaneously concentrate on the same place -- something that Anastasia couldn't do as fast as her twin brother could. 

"I don't know but Uncle Max was yelling to come back home," Daemon replied as he hopped over a flower cart stand, smiling back at the stunned owner in apology and in amusement since no _normal _human could jump over a six feet flower cart in one leap. "It sounded like a battlefield there."

"Somebody's attacking the organization? But why?"

"I don't know, but I bet it has something to do with the hack by SPAW---"

The twins jumped out of the way as a bullet sliced in between them, shattering the shop window next to them and sending panic among the crowd. They swiftly turned in the direction of the bullet, glaring at their unknown attacker on the roof of one of the nearby buildings.

"Who's there?" Daemon demanded.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Ack, I apologize once again for a LONG delay. To put it simply, a lot of things came up during the completion of this chapter, including a busy period at work, Anime Expo 2005 to attend, and plain ol' writers block. If you ever read my profile, I hit writer's block **often**, even if I do have a layout of what I want in the chapter right in front of me. So again, I extremely apologize for the delay of this chapter as well as the entire story itself. I know it's not fun reading through this part (even though it's fun for me, since, well, I _know _how this is going to end up), but never fear there's only one more chapter of Daemon's past to go before I jump back to where I ended off in Chapter One. Plus the next chapter is fun for me to write because, well, there will be some action in it .

Another note is that, no, Dalmaska Academy does not exist. I made that up. Sorbonne University, does, though. That's located in Paris, France. I'm trying to be geographically correct about London (but I don't think I'm doing a good job at it), so if I'm wrong in some parts, do tell me. (No flame, TELL. Telling is something totally different)

Since school has started once again, I may even have even less time to write, but that doesn't mean that I'll abandon this fic. I'm determined to finish it -- from start to finish -- even if it takes a long time to do so. Anyway, until the next chapter! (whenever that will be...)


	4. The Reason For Return

**Chapter Four: The Reason for Return**

Mitchell Riley may have been a teenager struggling to make ends meet, what many students at Dalmaska scorned to be a world for a typical commoner. He was actually lucky to get a scholarship and attend. Dalmaska was a very expensive academy but it was also a very exclusive one. Mitchell wasn't a particularly bright student nor a slacker yet a lot of his professors would say to him that he was fortunate to have luck on his side.

His abilities weren't very spectacular either and the scientists who invested their time and research on him said that he was useless. What good was it to just _see _the auras surrounding every living thing? It had to do something else. Then after his parents' death, after the scientists had given up on him, the men in black gave Mitchell that case of green vials. The liquid heightened his seeing ability to extents that he never quite imagined them to be. With the liquid, he found that he could be useful, that he could use this harmless ability for something.

It was only until his last moments did Mitchell Riley realize that he was just their test subject.

* * *

He arrived at a small alley near the school, climbing a ladder where he was told that there would be a weapon for him to use in a niche on the roof. Mitchell wasn't that well-versed in firearms as, say, the military, but the men in black deemed him capable enough of aiming and accurately hitting the target. Years of practice on the hunting ranges with his grandfather had given Mitchell a sense of confidence in this field. 

Mitchell found the sniper rifle soon enough, although he had no idea how to reach the Hellsing twins fast enough to stop them if he could at all. Their auras were like blurs weaving in and out of the crowds of London's streets. He could see them moving even faster in his mind and wondered to himself if they were actually **human. **And then as he unzipped the bag to make sure its contents were ready for use, a small black box caught the corner of his eye. Mitchell reached for the tube and then glanced at the note imbedded inside.

------------ _For your use against them. --SPAWN_

"So that's what their name is," he murmured to himself and glanced around to see if anyone was nearby before popping off the cap of the tube.

This liquid was of a different color than the ones that he was used to drinking. It wasn't green; it had more of an aqua hue this time. Yet Mitchell shrugged and doused down the liquid, noting its strange aftertaste, and set the tube down.

Only a few seconds passed by before his body convulsed involuntarily and he could remember no more.

* * *

"What's happening at home that's making you hurry?" Anastasia asked her brother as they raced down London's streets. 

"I don't know but Uncle Max was shouting over the phone to come home. It sounded like a battlefield there."

"Somebody's attacking the organization? Why?"

"I don't know but I bet that it had something to do with the hack this morning by SPAW--"

The twins jumped out of the way as a bullet whizzed between them, shattering the shop window nearby. The crowd around them fell into a panic, rushing to various areas for safety. They glared in the general direction where the bullet had come from at the roof of one of the nearby buildings.

"Who's there?" Daemon demanded, noting the reflection of dark metal in one of the corners of the rooftops.

The dark shadow of their attacker rose from its hiding place, his blond hair shining brightly against the sun. Because his back faced the sun's rays, it was hard even for the twins' vision to depict any facial features because he was looking down. Only the insignia of his uniform on the left shoulder stood out.

"Hey, that's our school, isn't it?" Anastasia murmured.

Daemon's eyes narrowed to thin slits as the blond man looked up, his lips curled in a feral smile and his hazel eyes filled with psychotic delight.

_His eyes...they're glowing..._

Disregarding any fear of heights, the unknown blond jumped off of the five story building towards them, laughing maniacally in the process. The crowd already running for safety dispersed and panicked even further as the Hellsing twins again jumped out of harm's way. Daemon cursed to himself as a bullet grazed passed his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood to trail down his face. Anastasia fared a little better, being more agile than her brother but nearly collided into a civilian who reluctantly accepted ammunition to pierce his body.

They had no weapons, no time to call for aid and a crowd to protect as they ran away from their enemy. The mystery man -- assumed to be from their school -- seemed to have no sense of what he was doing as he continued to shoot wildly about with the gun in his hands. The glow in his hazel eyes seemed to gleam more brightly in delight with each life he dissipated before reloading and setting his focus back onto Daemon and Anastasia.

"Is he a FREAK?" Anastasia asked as she nursed the leg which she clumsily smacked into the corner of a mailbox.

"...I don't think so," Daemon muttered, his eyes switching between the mystery blond -- now he saw that he looked around their age -- who just stopped and stared at them and looking for a decent object to use as a weapon of some sort.

"But what **else **could he be? There's no **way **that a normal person can jump off of a five story building and think they're fine and dandy."

A gunshot echoed in their ears as they watched in surprise at their unknown possible classmate's head spray out blood, his hazel eyes shocked at the impact and returning to normalcy, before falling to the ground.

"The hell..." Daemon managed to say before another shot rang from behind, hitting the teenager square in the left shoulder.

Before he or his sister could react, the building exploded next to them, hurdling them across the street with debris following after. A car softened Daemon's fall a bit as he smashed into the windshield, but he couldn't seem to move his body and his ears rang and echoed the deafening noise of the explosion. The last thing he remembered before darkness overtook him was seeing his twin sister's limp body being carried away by men in black into a van. And the last words he saw were SPAWN.

* * *

He awoke with a start, nearly choking on the air that filled his lungs as he frantically looked around the unfamiliar room. Daemon's crimson eyes slowly adjusted to the dark as the reality began to set in. A hand covered his eyes, focusing on the words that immediately came to mind. 

"A dream...just a dream..."

Six years had passed since the day his life completely changed, four since he had sent his sister back to where she belonged and discovered SPAWN's true intent at targeting Hellsing, three since his focus went in a different direction other than finding more about SPAWN and its creators, and just a few months since he found out that his life might once again change.

Home. Daemon chuckled bitterly at the word. He hadn't been there for six years and wondered to himself if it really **was **home. Especially since he left on bad terms, too arrogant to think that leaving would be a big deal.

A hand on his back and the tingling sensation of some of his vision blurring brought Daemon's attention back to the person next to him. His love's violet eyes stared back at him with concern, her dark hair outlining the frame of her pale face in their moonlit hotel room.

"_Ça va_?"

A small smile crept to his lips as he looked back at her, wrapping an arm around her slim waist and swollen belly, pulling them back down onto the mattress of their bed. He pulled her closer to him, letting her share more of his body heat as she involuntarily shivered. He knew it wasn't much of a help to her odd condition, but it was easy for the half-vampire to relax with her in the safety of his arms.

"I'm fine," he murmured in the dark tresses of her hair, taking in its vanilla scent. "_Juste un rêve_."

Maria smiled into the crook of his neck, knowing better than to just let it be. "_C'est vrai? _It didn't sound like one."

Daemon chuckled more at his stupidity than anything. He hadn't fallen in love with her just because of her looks or her assumed frailty because of her blindness. Maria was direct yet patient, strong at heart yet kind. She was the only person that he could actually bear his soul to, even his younger self would agree -- there wasn't anyone quite like her.

"Hmm..." he hummed. "More like a memory than a dream."

"_Ta soeur?" _

"Yeah. Before those bastards took her away and changed her."

Maria let his words sink in for a moment, letting his thoughts reorder itself before saying:

"You're nervous, _n'est-ce pas? _You're afraid that they'll hate you."

Daemon remained silent as she continued on.

"But from what you say about your parents...I don't think that they'll hate you for finding on your own what happened and what you want to do to prevent it from happening again. Maybe...shocked." She looked up at him, taking a small portion of his eyesight so that she could see. "Isn't that why you decided to come back?"

"Hmmm..."

Maria looked away from him, hugging him more tightly. "It's going to be fine. It might be awkward, but you'll be fine. No matter how much they might see how you've changed, they'll still know it's you. Somewhere deep inside, the son that they remember still exists."

Daemon let her words calm his thoughts, reasoning with them to his own. They made sense in a way, her words. There was no reason to be scared, there was never a need to.

He absentmindedly nodded, sleep overcoming him again, and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, _tu as raison_."

The truth of the matter needed to be known, and only Hellsing had the power to do that no matter how many times he told himself that they wouldn't.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: Okay, I know what you're probably thinking. "WHAT? You just went full circle!" --scratches her head meekly-- Yeah, I know I did. I **intended **to do that . It's mainly because I needed to give you guys a little bit of background as to why Daemon's the way he is now, why he had to come back to Hellsing in the first place. Of course, this way's kinda unconventional, but oh well. It made sense when I was outlining this out --sweatdrop-- 

In all honesty, even though I had a small outline of what I wanted in here, this was really hard to write. I was trying to figure out a way to get Mitchell to play a big part yet not at the same time...especially with those "mystery" voices in the previous chapter and whatnot. Plus, I needed to zoom back to the present time of the story somehow since I don't want to give too much away at this moment. What happens to Anastasia is something that I'll relay in detail in the next chapter. I hope. --laughs--

SO, in order to get some clarity, Chapters 2 and 3 go back six years before Chapter 1, detailing a bit about what Daemon was like before and how this entire matter of him leaving Hellsing came in the first place. The **majority **of this chapter finishes that six year bit off, with the exception of the leaving part. The **last scene** of this chapter takes place the night before Chapter 1 where Daemon goes and visits the Hellsing manor. The rest of this fic will continue off from where I stopped in Chapter 1 in the present time where Daemon is 24 years old, not 18. That makes sense? If not, please do say so --sweatdrop--

I also do apologize for this being so short a chapter. It just...kinda turned out that way.

--------

**Glossary of words** (If I'm really off in my French, do forgive me...it's been a year since I've spoken it; but see, not only do you read the fic, you'll learn new words too!):

_Ça va? _- the equivalent (when in the form of a question) is "are you okay?"; when it's not in the form of a question, then it just means "i'm fine" or "i'm doing well"

_juste un __rêve_ - just a dream (_rêve _means dream)

_c'est vrai? _- an idiomatic expression, the equivalent to "really?" or "is that so?"; literally it means "that's true"

_ta soeur_ - your sister (in familiar form, formal it would be _votre_ _soeur_)

_n'est-ce pas _- an idiomatic expression, the equivalent to "right?"; literally it means "that is not"

_tu as raison _- another idiomatic expression (a lot of languages do that, I figure), means "you're right"; literally it means "you have reason"

-------

And since I can actually do it this time, shout-outs! (Can't you tell I don't really care how many reviews I get? I used to...then age overcame me...)

**blumarshin** - I apologize for updating so late! I'm trying to update monthly...just so you know. But thank you so much for being so patient and for your reviews! I hope this fic will continue to keep you interested as the plot further deepens and continues on . And plus, for being my first reviewer, that's always a special spot --smile--

**lunar legend tsukihime **- Hirano taking this story for a continuation of the manga? I would be very honored if he did... I remember meeting him at AnimeExpo 05 and he was really cool. What was hilarious was that all the questions about all his characters he answered as "deadline". Sophie is...well, she'll appear in the next chapter. To put it more precisely, Sophie is the youngest child between Alucard and Integra, and perhaps the only one who is...um...the most innocent, I believe. So, she's Daemon and Anastasia's younger sister -- and there's a very big age gap between her and her two elder siblings. I didn't create her, my friend Juuhachigou did.

**darkwolvesoverlord** - Thank you very much! Hope you continue to read on.


	5. A Continuation of the Present

**Chapter Five - A Continuation of the Present**

"She was what?"

The answer wasn't asked -- rather, it was shouted. Daemon only averted his eyes away from Integra as he repeated the information.

"She was altered," he paused for a moment before elaborating. "When I ran into her...Annie wasn't the same. SPAWN apparently found a gene that they could tamper with that could alter someone's entire genetic code. They could change it to say that you're not 'human', but 'vampire' or 'werewolf' or anything that they wanted you to be. To put it in natural standards, if you were a good sprinter, they could tamper with the gene so that you could be unthinkably fast. Or if you were psychic, then you could be made to have the ability to control people's minds with just one command."

He paused again, feeling the contemplating frown from his father behind him as he reached to an even darker revelation. "...Or if you were half one thing and half the other...they could bring out the attributes of the hidden yet more dominant half. That was the reason why SPAWN wanted Annie back then."

He sifted through the inside pocket of his jacket, taking out a simple yet elegant silver necklace and set it on the table. Mother and father, husband and wife, master and servant stared at the object shining against the light that filtered between the curtains. The silver-linked chain held a cross embedded with sapphire crystals in the middle. The object looked brand new, but at a closer look the piece of jewelry could not hide all of its scars.

The necklace was her favorite design. She had received it from her mother on their birthday -- an heirloom from the Hellsing side of the family. It reminded both Alucard and Integra the truth.

"Once you get altered, there's no way in reversing it," Daemon continued in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "When she came back to her senses, Annie wanted to give this back to you."

* * *

Eyes the color of a clear sky stared out the car window in boredom. The owner watched the all too familiar surroundings of outer London pass before glancing back at her chauffeur. The man had not said a word of explanation to her since picking her up earlier than usual at school, and it irked the twelve year old a bit. Anya Sophia Hellsing knew that her parents had wanted to keep her as far away as possible from the real "business" of her family's organization, but they also knew that she would know sooner or later -- especially with an "aunt" and "uncle" like hers.

"Uncle Max," Sophie (she refused to be called by her first name because it was much more fun tricking people into thinking that she was a normal twelve year old) said as she looked back out the car window.

Her chauffeur glanced at her beneath the sunglasses that were customized to protect his sensitive eyes from the sun. Maxmillian Havel could hardly be called Sophie's "uncle". The vampire had velvet brown hair, a sharp pointed nose and square jaw while his young charge had black hair like her father's and equally dark blue eyes. This did not include the fact that he had lived for over three centuries yet didn't look any older than twenty-five.

Maxmillian, like the girl's father, was not like the low grade vampires (he scoffed at the name; many that he killed weren't even worthy to be called "vampire) that Hellsing hunted. Although he was not a Nosferatu like Alucard, Maxmillian came from a special line of ancestry back in Eastern Europe. The blood in him had long adapted to a stereotypical vampire's fear of sunlight and silver. Only his eyes were sensitive to the sun; otherwise, he lived like any other human being.

"Hmm?" he asked although he knew quite well what his niece's question was.

"Why are we going home so early?"

"Your parents wanted you to meet someone," he replied as he kept his eyes back on the road.

This was somewhat of a lie, as it was Richard who had contacted him while he was in the vicinity of Sophie's school, but Maxmillian was wise to know that Sophie cooperated much better if he told her if it was her parents and not her other surrogate uncle.

"Don't tell me it's those old geezers again."

Maxmillian chuckled at her sarcasm, remembering the last time Sophie greeted the members of the Round Table, she had literally lifted each man two feet in the air when she shook their hands.

"No, no, not them, little one," he told her. "You haven't this guest in a very long time. Six years to be exact."

Sophie turned away from the window to look at him, thinking. Maxmillian could feel the confusion and curiosity coming from her as he continued to drive. Unlike her siblings, Sophie had not been traditionally trained to refine her psychic abilities since her parents wanted her to have as much of a normal life as possible even with an odd couple like him and Seras. His cute, petite, absent-minded mate had to sleep during most of the day and when the sun was still out, she had to confine herself to the mansion's basement. He himself could go out during the day without any problems, but the color of his eyes gave away a small portion of his true persona.

But it was fun for Maxmillian to remember that he could easily pass for Sophie's older brother than one of her surrogate uncles.

He continued to drive as she continued to unconsciously send little waves of thought to him. Sophie had to think back to six years ago, when she was just a cheery six year old, unafraid of anything except for loud noises and spiders. Her odd background had not only given her abnormal strength and psychic ability but a good memory as well. She thought long and hard as to who this person might be. Then she remembered her older siblings, both who had disappeared one day after _that _incident. One looked like the older version of herself, the other was one who looked a little like her father with his crimson eyes and who loved to pick her up and put her on top of his shoulders. Her eyes widened at the memory, giving a big smile at her uncle and nearly jumped out of her seat in excitement.

"You mean Dae-my's back!"

* * *

_Mille deux cent vingt-six, mille deux cent vingt-sept..._

Daemon was right about his former home. It was much larger compared to the recent places they lived in. Maria wasn't quite sure if she could remember where everything was without getting lost. Richard had been more than kind to guide her around, and he seemed to be familiar in guiding the blind like herself. However, she felt that she would need another tour around or at least Daemon by her side if she decided to go anywhere beyond the foyer.

"And so, we are back to where you first entered in the front foyer," Richard described to her. "Although we are on the second floor this time. Up here is where the sleeping quarters of Lady Integra and Lady Sophia reside as well as the guest chambers and the briefing room, or what Lady Integra calls the Round Table room."

Maria absentmindedly nodded at the details as she let Richard lead the way. Daemon had told her many things about his old home or as much as he was willing to long before they arrived. There were many more things that he had yet to tell her, but she was content in waiting.

What mattered to her the most was that he could be able to mend some of the scars of his past.

"Sophia...is Daemon's younger sister, _non_?" Maria inquired.

"Yes, she is," Richard answered with a smile. "There is a twelve year difference between them, but I always remember that Lord Daemon and Lady Anastasia were very close with her. He speaks about her often?"

Maria nodded, recalling how his voice would suddenly change whenever he would talk about his baby sister. "Yes, he does. I could tell by just the way he spoke that he cared very much for her and regretted leaving." She paused, wondering to herself if the next statement she would tell would be odd. "He...speaks much more softly than he usually does. Or as how my father would have put it: _il la parle comme une fleur._"

Richard turned then, arching a curious eyebrow even though he knew that she could not see it. The courier and current weapons manufacturer for the organization who had known and taught Daemon Hellsing for nearly two decades before his departure was surprised at how quickly the woman next to him caught onto Daemon's nuances. Although it might just be because of her handicap, Richard wondered to himself how much the woman meant to his former pupil and surrogate nephew. The Daemon he knew before he left, although a bit brash and a bit arrogant, didn't quite open himself up to others like he seemed to. With the exception of his family and close members to Hellsing, it took a long time for Daemon to trust outsiders. Richard felt that this trait would have continued on, even more regularly than usual, during his travels.

"Yes, that does sound like Lord Daemon," he replied. "How did you meet him, Miss Maria?"

The question was spoken so casually that Maria had to catch herself from revealing the complete truth. Hellsing did not know that Daemon worked for Black Scorpion and he was technically her bodyguard (although through the years they had been together and with the new life inside her, they had become much more than that) -- but that would be soon revealed, though she knew that he would rather explain it directly to the people he knew than have them learn it second hand.

"He saved me from getting killed," she answered softly, recalling back to those memories. "It was four years ago."

* * *

Integra stared down at the ornament in her hands, the studded sapphires reflecting off what little sunlight filtered in the room. She wasn't sure what she felt at the moment; relieved that their daughter was a peace, angered for not delving further into SPAWN before they had attacked and took their daughter away from them, or saddened for losing one of their children even though she had been prepared for the worst. Her husband, back against the door behind their son, had not said a word since Daemon began his story. It was painful to hear the words come from their son's lips, but they had both not shown a single imprint of emotion.

One question still lingered as she took another look at Daemon who was beginning to look much more than a stranger to her than her own son.

"If you had..." she paused, looking for the right word, "...'sent' Anastasia back to rest four years ago, then why did you not return and tell us until now?"

Daemon's eyes narrowed just slightly, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Research."

When no further question came, he continued on, "I've been trailing SPAWN for the past five and a half years. They're a much larger organization than we thought they were -- spread under a variety of different bioengineering company names throughout the world, all legitimate companies that have been around for years. At least, that's what they show on the surface. They also have a numerous amount of smaller branches in remote areas, all unattached to the name of SPAWN but containing some of the same people who found them. I had been...taking down these smaller branches to prevent some of their...experiments...from affecting the populace as a whole."

Integra frowned. Much of the information wasn't new to her. After the incident six years ago, Integra had completely reorganized their intelligence unit into focusing onto SPAWN's activities secretly. They had been able to find some of the other pseudonyms of SPAWN, each one a dangerous game to gamble when they had little proof to show the royal line why they needed to infiltrate further into the companies involved. In the meantime, she had organized another intelligence unit to search for Daemon but that proved unsuccessful. As soon as they would have a trail just after a setback into one of these companies by SPAWN had been discovered, they would immediately have one of their people found with some of their memories lost -- most of the time the area of what had recently happened to them and what they found out. Integra and some of the other core members had a feeling that another organization was involved. What her son was now telling her further instigated that feeling. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together.

"So then you were the one who had destroyed a few factories linked to SPAWN in Asia and in Russia these past four years," she concluded, noting the slight flinch in Daemon's eyes at the sound of her voice. "Whenever we would hear of a factory linked to SPAWN destroyed or experiencing a severe setback, I would send out a group to investigate the situation only to have them be found a week after their return date with a portion of their memory lost. We had a feeling that there was another underground organization involved but I never expected it to be from you."

She held her steely gaze at her son who returned one with equal force. "And this organization worked very hard to keep your whereabouts as hidden as possible, which was why we couldn't be able to find you. Whenever there would be some sort of trail, it would be immediately cut cold. Your father couldn't even find you nor could your uncle Max, two people who could easily establish a psychic link with you wherever you were."

Daemon closed his eyes, shifting through the various explanations that he was preparing to use when his mother had figured out that an organization had helped him keep his whereabouts a secret. However, none sounded quite right. It sounded much better if he just directly told the truth.

Opening his eyes, he said. "Black Scorpion has been hiding my identity for the past five and a half years. They're also the organization that I've been working for to take down SPAWN."

Black Scorpion. The name sounded familiar to her, but Integra could quite place it from where. Then an old face from her high school years crossed her mind. It was before her uncle decided to kill her, before her father died, and before she met Alucard in the sealed area of the basement. The face was of a boy in her class at the time who had been the perfect student yet kept many things to himself. He was from an equally respected family and noble background as hers, and he had also been her rival. Vincent Maxwell. She remembered that she had spoken to him one time when they were on the same case, and how she found out about his true background as a person. The man loved scorpions, particularly because of the image they held in society's eyes. Benign when you ignored them yet deadly with their stinger if you aggravated them enough. He didn't like to be in the spotlight and always hid in the background: a perfect way to stay away from notice and danger.

"...Then why have you..."

"Because we're not as large nor as powerful as Hellsing is. And also, to put it simply, Hellsing isn't as easy to take down."

* * *

Alucard continued to remain silent as he listened. He could sense the slight shift of emotions from his son but not much else. The vampire could tell that his son had refined his psychic abilities to a much greater level than he had previously. There was a much stronger psychic barrier around him now and only from time to time could he sense a wave of emotion, or rather a twinge of it. His wife, on the other hand, was human and the complete opposite -- especially when it came to anger. They had been together for so long that he wasn't surprised that she had gone into one of her many outbursts.

"So you expect me to aid you and Black Scorpion?" came the threatening growl from his wife. "After you've chosen to disappear and refuse to be found? How do expect me to trust you?"

Now Alucard could clearly sense the anger rising from Daemon.

"I'm just relaying the information to you," Daemon replied in even tones. "I'm not requesting anything, just merely **telling **you that it would be nice if the organization would be more involved with SPAWN's current status than they are now. Take it as you will."

_I knew that this wasn't a good idea, _came his thought. He stood up, eyes closed and mentally counted to ten. It was also no use to restart the argument that made him leave six years ago. Integra stood as well, watching him, he knew. When he opened his eyes, he recovered the mask that he had manipulated so well before. It was easier this way.

"I'll be in town for a little while," he said to both occupants in the room, although he mainly directed it at his mother. "If there's anything that you need me for, I'm sure that Father will be able to find me, now."

Alucard stepped aside as he headed for the door without protest. Once his hand reached the knob, however:

"Aren't you going to introduce your mother to your companion?" Alucard asked with a small smirk.

Daemon inwardly sighed to himself, although his face maintained the mask as he glanced back at his father.

"Maybe next time," he replied as he opened the door and left.

The oak door closed with a small click that echoed in the silent room between mother and father, husband and wife, master and servant. Integra looked at her husband curiously, her eyes clearly showing that she was tired from keeping her own mask up.

"Companion?" she repeated with an arched eyebrow.

The smile only widened. _So, you want to keep it a secret for a bit longer?_

"A very...interesting companion came with our usually distant son," he told her.

* * *

Before Richard could ask any further about Maria's relationship with Daemon, the reluctant heir stepped out of the room with his face etched in stone.

"Ah, Lord Daemon, you've finished?" he inquired although he could tell that his lady's son had fallen into an even darker mood than when he arrived.

"For now, yes," Daemon answered with a weak smile. He approached the pair, one hand extended in which Maria took as if she had sensed it coming. Richard couldn't help but muse to himself how well the couple worked together. "Thank you for showing her around, Uncle."

"Yes, thank you very much," Maria added, her smile much brighter than his as she turned to Richard's general direction. "It was very descriptive and helpful."

The older man couldn't help but let out a light laugh. "It was my pleasure to give a tour, Miss Maria. There haven't been many visitors who come to the Hellsing manor."

The tension that had built up inside Daemon while inside the briefing room speaking with his mother relaxed a bit at sensing his uncle's humor. Out of all the people he had known in Hellsing before he left, his uncle Richard was perhaps the only one who seemed to understand him. Richard Kun Dorneaz knew when to delve into the heart of the matter and when to distract it if it became too uncomfortable.

"We'll probably be back soon," he told his uncle.

"Ah, I see," Richard nodded in understanding. He also added, "Lady Sophia will be disappointed."

"Sophie? Isn't she in school anyway?"

"Oh, I made a phone call while you were inside."

Daemon glanced at Maria who gave him a slight nod. Before the half-vampire could think of a reply, the front doors of the mansion opened wide and two pairs of footsteps followed, one much quicker than the other.

"Wait a minute, Sophie, put away your bag first!" a deep yet smooth voice called after the quicker pair just before a small body collided into Daemon's in a loose hug.

* * *

**GLOSSARY OF UNKNOWN WORDS:**

1) Mille deux cent vingt-six, mille deux cent vingt-sept... - 1,226, 1,227...

2) non - literally means "no", but in the phrase that Maria speaks in, it has a meaning equivalent to "is that right?"

3) il la parle comme une fleur - He speaks to her like a flower (yay for indirect objects...)

**Author's Notes:** Ack, I'm so sorry for not updating in...looks at last update **four **months! . I feel so ashamed...here I want to have this written out and completed and I don't update in nearly four months. I had a written outline of what I wanted on this chapter, but for some odd reason, it was so hard to write it out. I literally had rewritten the first two pages about 10 times before I was satisfied, and even my current written copy doesn't even match what I have typed out here. It was just so..._hard_. Gosh, I absolutely hate writer's block.

I would have updated sooner if it wasn't for the fact that I made the mistake of taking a winter session class at school, which further ate up my free time --. And then my brother bought me Resident Evil 4 for Christmas...which I have been addicted to on and off (I still have yet to finish it).

A good thing, though, is that this is my last semester at my junior college before I transfer to a 4-year university, so my work load is fairly light. I'll hopefully have the next chapter updated next month at the latest as I am juggling between school, work, cosplay (for Anime Expo this July), and about 3 other stories that I have ongoing at the same time (which includes a revision of an old Ruroken fanfic). Until then!


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